Aid and projects for Moldova

Romania will continue to support the Republic of Moldova, even if a non-reimbursable financial agreement could not be extended

Eugen Coroianu, 29.03.2021, 13:55

The validity of the 100 million Euro financial agreement concluded between the Romanian and the Moldovan governments ten years ago has expired. The program consisted in a non-reimbursable financial aid from Bucharest to Chisinau and, for a decade, it was used to fund emblematic projects, such as the refurbishment and modernization of more than 1000 kindergartens and schools in the Republic of Moldova, or for the development of the Iasi-Chisinau gas pipeline, a strategic project aimed to interconnect the two countries from an energy point of view.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry, which has given assurances that Bucharest remains a reliable and involved partner to Moldova, has stressed that it has taken all the necessary steps to extend the agreement signed in 2010. Regretfully, Bucharest has not received in due time Chisinau’s endorsement and documents to extend the agreement, despite a series of diplomatic steps taken in that direction. However, Romania remains open to concluding a new agreement, focused on the same goals and integrating all the necessary additional protocols, with a view to helping the Republic of Moldova keep the European path and implement democratic reforms.

Also, Romania will continue to provide direct, consistent and disinterested support to the Moldovan citizens, including humanitarian aid in the context of the pandemic, and to act towards the development of strategic interconnection projects. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, during the bilateral talks held in mid-March, Chisinau’s representatives invoked the fact that Moldova’s acting government did not have the necessary competences to conclude the agreement.

In another move, more than 50 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccine were sent by Romania to the Republic of Moldova this weekend. This second shipment is part of the aid package announced by Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis during his visit to Chisinau, in December last year. It’s a humanitarian aid aimed to support the Republic of Moldova curb the dramatic effects of the pandemic, the Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu has stated. He has also announced that, more batches will be sent to Moldova in the coming period, to reach the 200,000 doses promised. Bucharest will also create a special fund for the sister localities in the Republic of Moldova and will provide support for the development of the Romanian media institutions, TVR Moldova and Radio Romania Chisinau, the Diaspora Senator Viorel Badea has announced recently. (MI)